Our pick in a lackluster U.S. 12th District race

U.S. House District 12, which includes most of Charlotte, has a growing population that's made it one of the largest in North Carolina since districts were drawn based on 2010 Census numbers. Yet of the six challengers to incumbent Democrat Alma Adams, only three reside in the 12th District. Of those, none has held political office.

Such is a testament to the political strength of Adams — or perhaps her example. Adams, of course, faced some residency questions of her own two years ago when she moved to Charlotte after District 12 was redrawn. Voters didn't seem to mind, however, electing her over a strong field of Charlotte-centric challengers.

In this year's Democratic primary, she faces a comparatively weaker field in the 12th, with two opponents who have never held office and another who is a city councilman ... in Asheville.

Of the Charlotte challengers, food service worker Patrick Register has the firmest grasp of issues but no experience in public office. His positions largely align with Adams, with one notable exception: Register is a staunch opponent of campaign money from political action committees, and in fact is wary of any money in elections. It's why he doesn't encourage campaign donations and has spent less than $1,000 in the race thus far.

The other Charlotte challenger, Gabriel Ortiz, hasn't run an active campaign. Asheville City Councilman Keith Young is outspoken and liberal — not necessarily a bad fit for the Democratic-leaning 12th — but his lack of history in Charlotte should be troubling to voters.

That was once a deficiency for Adams, too. But since her 2016 election, she has been an active representative in Charlotte, appearing at events across the district. She has advocated for Charlotte-specific issues, including debt relief for students of the now-closed Charlotte School of Law. Adams also has been encouragingly active in introducing and sponsoring legislation, and she has offered a strong and progressive voice for the district. Democrats in the 12th should feel comfortable giving her another two years.

Republicans in the district face a far different kind of choice. The GOP primary field is among the weakest we've seen in a congressional election. None of the three candidates has held political office. Two of the three live outside the district, and each of the candidates has significant flaws.

Carl Persson, a long-time Charlotte resident, is running primarily on solving the nation's health care issues, but his solution unrealistically calls for the elimination of health insurance companies.

Former District Court judge Paul Wright lives 180 miles east of Charlotte in Mount Olive. Wright, who has run and lost races for governor and U.S. House 4th District, argues implausibly that Congress has the power to block Supreme Court decisions and can reverse the legalization of abortion and same-sex marriages.

Gaston County's Paul Bonham admits to a long-ago felony assault guilty plea on his web site, but more disqualifying is his far-right potpourri of misleading, inaccurate and over-the-top assertions on issues and politics. (Did you know, for example, that Hillary Clinton spied on Donald Trump associates?)

Republican voters in District 12 deserve a better choice. We recommend none of the candidates in the GOP primary.

This story was originally published April 20, 2018 at 5:20 PM with the headline "Our pick in a lackluster U.S. 12th District race."